Coal cutter and like machinery



April 9, 1935. H WILSON I 1,997,093

COAL CUTTER AND LIKE MACHINERY Filed Nov. 29, 1933 5 sheets-sheet4 1 15 Fig. 5. \14 ,l 149 148 :s l:\ as

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AHORA/67s April 9, 1935. H WILSON I 1,997,093

GOAL GUTTER AND LIKE MACHINERY Filed Nov. 29, 1953 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 April 9, 1935. H. WILSON A 15997093 COAL CUTTER AND LIKE MACHINERY F'i led NOV. 29, 1933 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Fig. 9.

/L/AROLD h//Lso/v ffl/VEN rO/Q By. JMW 6 Patented Apr. 9, 1935 1,997,093 A COAL CUTTER AND LIKE MACHINERY Harold Wilson, Bestwood, England Application November 29, 1933, serial N0. 700,293 In Great Britain November 30, 1932 l 13v Claims.

rIhis invention is concerned with that kind of machine which is known as a coal cutter and is employed both for cutting coal and for cutting other minerals, and the invention is applicable to all types, of coal cutters, either chain, bar or disc. In use the coal cutter is traversed along the coal face and by means of a cutting `element (which is either a chain travelling round a jib, or a rotating disc, or a rotating and reciprocating bar) makes an undercut in the face, and hitherto it has been necessary to employ men at the rear of the machine to clear out the cuttings from the cutter as they are made. There is a danger however of the men thus occupied being caught in the cutting element, and the present invention has for its `chief object to provide means for clearing out the cuttings and for guarding the cutting element, and for thereby reducing not only the number of men that must be in attendance upon the machine but also, by obviating the necessity for clearing out the cuttings by human labour, reducing the risk of accidents. A further object of this invention is to provide a guard for the cutter which does not compact the cuttings as the machine is traversed.

In order that the invention may be better understood, two embodiments thereof will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Figure l is a plan View of a chain cutter according to this invention. v

Figure 2A is an elevation, upon an enlarged scale, looking in the direction of the arrow 2c in Figure l, while y Figure 2B is, `in effect, a continuation to the left of Figure 2A, and shows an elevationof the machine locking in the direction of the arrow 2b in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation, upon an enlarged scale, taken on the line 3--3 of Figure l.

Figure 4 is a further sectional elevation taken on the line 'iin Figure l.

Figure 5 is a part-sectional plan oi the headpreferably be some i1/2" in diameter.

stock for the jib, showing a support for a rotary Throughout this description like reference niimerals indicate like parts.

The mining machine shown in Figure l follows conventional lines in that it comprises a body' it and ajib II pivoted thereto at I2, round the periphery of which jib a cutter chain is traversed, said chain having projecting cutters I3. The details of this chain form no part of thisinvention and are, therefore,v not illustrated; neither do the means whereby said chain is traversed, in an anti-clockwise direction as viewed Vin Figure i., nor the means Whereby'the whole machine is traversed along the working face, in the direction of the dotted arrow in Figure 1, whereby the cutter mechanism consisting of the jib, chain, etc., cuts a deep undercut in the working face. It Will suffice-to say that a motor is housed in the body ID which drives the chain through suitable gearing and also causes the machine to traverse by reason of a driven capstan I4 around which vthe wire haulage rope I5 ythat extends to the derrick prop is wound. rIhis capstan I4 in some machines is rotated intermittently to give astep by step traverse and in other machines'is rotated continuously to give a substantially smooth traverse.

According to this invention, the cutters at fthe trailingside of the jib are guarded by a guard shaft or bar It that extends along one lap of the cutter chain. This guard Vbar I6 is approximately of the same diameter as the thickness of the jib and height ofthe undercut, that is to say if the machine has a 5" jlb, the bar I6 'will The function of this bar Vis to prevent thertools, which the machine attendants employ to clear out theLcut.- tings, from Vbeing caught in the cutters.

It is desirabler that means shall be provided whereby, as the machine is racked along the kcoal face, the cuttings are passed to the rear sideof said guard shaft It without y being compacted or pressed down by the passage of said ,guardrover them. Therefore to this end the shaft .I6 is rotatable, being supported in ball or roller bearings in housings I'I, i8' upon the jib head-stock,

' and has its peripherycut with axially extending utes1l'9 or deep grooves forming between them radially projecting vanes or blades y20; .Hencey asthe machine is drawn forward the Vanes 2B, by reason ofthe rotation of the shaft I6, step over the cuttings, which are accommodated `in the iiutes I9 and .are notcompacted. From this it will be appreciated that-it .ispreierred-that the.Y shaft `i6 shallbe rotated in co-relation with the. traverse for frackingmovement of v*the machine Yio itself, that is'to say the peripheral speed of the shaft I6 shall be substantially the same as the linear speed of the machine. When the machine is racked intermittently, it is preferred that the shaft I6 shall be rotated intermittently, the rotational movement coinciding with the racking movement. i

The shaft I6 is driven by suitable gearing from the hereinbefore mentioned motor that is housed within the body I; by way of example in the construction illustratedthe haulage-rope I is employed to rotate said shaft I6. It will be seen that the said rope extends from the derrick prop back to the machine body I0, over an idle roller 2I on the face side of the machine, over an idle roller 22 at the goaf side of the machine, and then alongside the machine body to a pulley 23 that is supported upon said body'at the headstock end thereof. The haulage rope passes over said pulley 23 andA back over another idle pulley 24 that is co-axial with the aforesaid pulley 22 and thence to the winding up capstan or drum I4. Therefore as the haulage cable is wound upon the drum I4 the pulley 23is rotated upon its supporting shaft 25 (which shaft is mounted upon the machine in a manner hereinafter explained) as is" also a sprocket 26 which isk attached to said pulley. This sprocket Vwheel 26 serves by means of a chain 21 to drive a corresponding sprocket 28 at the head-stock end of the guard shaft I6, which shaft is thereby rotated in an anti-clockwise direction as viewed in Figure 2A. 1 l

According to a further feature of this invention means are provided for delivering, out of the cut being made, the cuttings that are produced by the cutters I3. The said meansycom- Vprises a bar Vor plough 30 that extends backwardly and obliquely from the extremity of the guard shaft I6, conveniently at an angle'of some 30 thereto, so that asv the machine .is traversed the cuttings that pass to the rear ofthe guard I6 are engaged by the plough A36 and are delivered out of the cut. It will be noted that thesaid plough 30 is of a length at least equal to the effective length of the jib, and, therefore, at least equal tothe greatest depth of undercut. This ensuresrthat the cuttings are delivered.`out beyond the coal face.

Because of the movement of thecutters I3 around the peripheral edge of the jib, it is not possible to support the plough 30 directly from the jib, andit is convenient, therefore, to mount the said plough rotatably upon the extremity I 6a of the guard shaft I6. This rotatable mounting nhas the further-advantage that it permits .the plough to swing in a vertical direction as it trails behind the. jib and, therefore, to accommodate itself-to such deviations from the true horizontal or straight traverse that may be imposed upon the machine by the configuration of the seam being worked.

In the majorityof cases, it will-not be pra/cing onY the shaftV I6 for supporting the plough 30 and, therefore, a stay or tie rod 32 is with advantage provided, which rod extends between the outer end of said plough and the head-stockend of the machine body. In order to permit of the aforesaid swinging movements of the-plough 3U the said tie rod is pivoted to the body and to the plough; That is to say at its end near the head-stock' the1tie.rod 32 is forked to span a vertical pin 33 to which the said fork is pivoted' by abolt 34, while at its other end the tie rod 32 is pivoted to the plough 30 by a substantially horizontal pivot 35.. It Vwill be noted that the pin 33 is accommodated within one of the holes 36 which are provided, as

is common practice, for fastening the jib inV the y required position of angular adjustment with relation to the body I0.

Because the jib II may be moved pivotally to project from one side or the other of the body I0 in accordance with the conditions under which the machine has to beworked and trav- Versed, it is desirable to provide means for transferring the guard shaft I6 Vand plough 30 to the other side ofthe jib from that shownV in Figure l. Therefore the bearing housings II, I8 for the shaft I6, and the Vspindle 25 on which the pulley 23 and sprocket 26 are mount- Y ed, vare made detachable so that the two said housings may be transferred to the other side of the head-stock and the spindle 25l tol the other side of the body. l Y

Referring to Figure 3, itV will be noted that the spindle 25 is secured by means of "aset screw 38 within a bracket 39, which bracketris provided upon its underside with a vertical stubshaft 40.V 'Ihis stub-shaft 4l) may be engaged within one or other of the locating holes 36a which,y as is usual in chain cutters and as is shown in Figure 1, are provided at substantially diametrically opposed points in the head-stock endv of the body. 'I'he said stub-shaft 40 is pre` vented from turning within its hole 36a because one or other (according to which side of the body the bracket 39 is located) of the projecting arms 39a is held against the flat faces, indicated at IIIa, upon the machine body by reason of the tension in the two laps of the haulage rope that extend alongside the body and over the pulley 23. 1

In order to provide for the reversible attachment of the'two bearing housings I1, I6 for the guard shaft I6, the head-stock 4I and what` may be termed the-head-stockV cap 42 (by means of which head-'stock and cap the jib II is pivotally mounted upon a stout vertical shaft 43 secured within the overhanging end ofthe extensions 46 of the head-stock, whichexten-p sions are suitably tapped at right angles tothe length of the jib toreceive thesecuring bolts` 45. The other housing' I'I, as is best shown in Vbody I0) are of modified design. The housing Figure 5, is bolted to a distance'piece |48 whichV has at one end a socket within which one or other of two cylindrical extensions I 49, integral iwith a `stout arm |50 that projects from the head-stock cap 42, is received.

The guard shaft I6 is assembled within its bearings inthe housings IfI, I8 by endwise movement. Therefore, that portion I6b of said shaft `I6 that lies between the, twobearings must be reduced in section, to pass throughsaidbearingsand a removable distance piece provided. This distance piece 48, which 1s shown in section in `Figure 5, is split diametrically into two halves which are bolted upon the shaft I 6b by means of yflanges 49 and bolts 50. Provision is made,"

however, for preventing the distance piece 48 by reason of its diameter from fouling the projections or cuttings upon the floor orrother sup-` port over which the machine islt'raversed, and therefore this distance piece, like the guard shaft I6, isv formed with flutes and projecting vanes or blades. Further in order to `ensure that the blades that lie between the two bearings are always in alignment with the blades 2l! formed on that part of the shaft I6 that lies alongside the rear'edge ci the jib the distance piece is keyed to theshaf-rJ i5. Conveniently, the necessary keyed connection is provided by squaring the portion ich of the shaft I8. For convenience, this distance piece is not shown in Figures4 i, 4,

5 and 9.

The present Ainvention is not limited in its application to chain cutters and, therefore, it has been elected to illustrate in Figure 9 the application of the invention to .a disc cutter. This disc cutter is in the main of conventional construction comprising a body it having projecting brackets el between which' the horizontal disc 52, provided 'at its peripheral edge with cutters i3, is pivotally mounted. As in the machine illustrated in Figure l, the cutters I3 are driven and the machine is traversed by means of a motor housed within the body lil; in particular the body lil comprises three separable units MBA, B and C, of which the unit icA comprises a gear box from which there projects a driving shaft 53 having a pinion mounted thereon. This pinion drives the cutter disc 52. t the trailing edge ci the cutter disc there is a fluted guard shait it which as before is supported in bearings in housings it? and also carries a pivotally mounted plough Si?, the outer end ci which is stayed by a stay rod 32. The general details oi this cutter guard it and plough 3Q are as hereinbeiore described and further description oi them is unnecessary with the following exception. In the construction shown in Figure 9, the guard bar it is provided near the inner bearing housing it with a sprocket 5@ over which runs a chain 5l that is driven by a small sprocket 53a upon a shaft projecting from the gear box los.. t the other end oi the said gear box thereis a sirrilar sprocket 58h which is driven in an opposite direction to the sprocket 58a and is employed to drive the guard bar l in the reverse direction when the latter has been changed over to the other end of the body as said guard may be, in order to bring .it to the trailing edge of the disc, when it is desired to reverse the cutting traverse of the machine. This reversal of the guard is conveniently effected in substantially the same manner as in the machine shown in Figure l; that is t0 say by changing over the bearing housings il', i8, to the other end of the body lil. As is well known in mining machines, the machine illustrated is arranged for traverse with the cable drum at either the leading or trailing end oi the body.

l. In a coal-cutter or mining machine of the type comprising a body and a cutting element projecting therefrom in such manner that as the body is traversed along a working -.tace the projecting cutting element makes a deep undercut in said face, a rotatable fluted guard that extends alongside the trailing edge of the cutting element for substantially the full length thereof, means for rotating said guard, and a device that extends from near the extremity of the cutting element -for discharging the cuttings out of the cut by reason of and during the traverse oi the machine.

2. In a mining machine of the type adapted to be traversed along the working face to cut a deep undercut therein by means of an overhanging cutter having movable cutter elements thereon which travel in an endless path in a plane which lies substantially in the direction of traverse, the combination of a rotatable guard bar extending alongside the trailing edge of the cutter for substantially the full lengthv thereof and having a fluted periphery, and means for rotating said guard bar.

3. In a mining machine of the type adapted to be traversed along the working face to cut a deep undercut therein by means of an overhanging cutter having movable cutter elements thereon which travel in an endless path in a plane which lies substantially in the direction of traverse, the combination oi a rotatable guard that extends alongside the rear4 edge of the cutterv and has radial blades, means for rotating said guard, and

a plough, extending obliquely to the direction of traverse or the machine from the extremity of the cutter, for delivering the cuttings out of the out,

4. In amining machine of the type adapted to be traversed along the workingfaceto outa deep undercut therein by means ofl an overhanging cutter having movable cutter elements thereon which travel in an endless path in a plane which lies substantially in the direction of traverse, the combination of a rotatable guard having a iiuted periphery which guard extends alongside the cutter at the rear thereof, a plough for delivering cuttings out of the cut as the machine is traversed, means for rotatably supporting `said plough at the extremity of the guard, and means for rotating said guard.

5. In a mining machine comprising abcdyandy an overhanging horizontal cutter disc for making an undercut in a working face as the machine is traversed along said face. the combination of a rotary guard bar extending from the body substantially tangentially of the disc at the trailing edge thereof, said guard bar having an interrupted periphery for permitting it to move over the cuttings without compacting them, and a plough trailing behind said guard bar for delivering the cuttings out of the cut.

6. In a mining machine comprising a body and an overhanging horizontal cutter disc for making an undercut in a Working face as the machine is traversed along said face, the combination of a guard that extends from the body at the trailing edge of the disc, means for causing said guard to pass over cuttings made by the disc without compacting them as the machine is traversed, and means for delivering the cuttings out of the out during traverse.

7. In a mining machine comprising a body and an overhanging cutter projecting therefrom by means of ywhich cutter a deep undercut is made in a working face of mineral as the machine is traversed along said face, the combination of a guard that extends alongside the trailing edge of the cutter and in the same horizontal plane and is of substantially the same thickness as the under-cut, means for causing the cuttings made by the cutter to pass uncompacted to the rear of the guard as the machine is traversed, and means for delivering the cuttings out of the out during traverse.

8. In amachine of the type comprising a body, a jib projecting horizontally therefrom, a cutter chain guided around the periphery of the jib, cutters upon said chain, and an engine in the body for driving the chain and for providing the power for traversing the machine, so that upon traverse of said machine along a working face a deep undercut is made therein, the combination of a rotary guard bar of substantially the same diameter as the thickness oi the jib extending alongside the trailing edge of the jib which guard'bar has 4 an interrupted periphery for permitting it to step in its rotational and traversing movement over the cuttings Without compacting the same, means for rotating said guard barV at a peripheral speed substantially equal to the linear speed of traverse of the machine, a bearing for said guard bar to support it, and a trailing plough pivotally mounted upon the extreme end of the guard bar for delivering the cuttings out of the cut. f

9. In the combination claimed in claim 8, al-

ternative mountings for said bearing, one at each side of the jib, and means for attaching the bearing to either of them at will, whereby the guard may be located Valongside either edge of the jib according to the direction of traverse of the machine. i

10. In a coal-cutter or mining machine of the type adapted to be traversed along the Working face to cut a deep undercut therein by means of an overhanging cutter having movable, cutter elements thereon which travel in an endless path Vin a plane lying substantially in the direction of jib and a cutte'i" chain therefor running ud the periphery of the jib, a rotatable cutter guard of non-circular section extending alongside the trailing'lap of the chain, bearingsin which said guard is rotatable, means for rotating'it to step forward over the cuttings, and means for delivering the cuttings out of the cut during traverse of the machine.

12. In a mining machine of the type comprising a body and overhanging cutter mechanism projecting therefrom, said mechanism comprising cutters or picks that travel in an endless path in a substantially horizontal plane as the machine Y is traversed along the working face to make a. deep undercut in said face,V the combination of a rotatable cutter guard of non-circular section extending alongside the trailing edge of said mech- 'f anism, bearings in which said guard is rotatable, the transverse dimension of which guard on a longitudinal section through the axis of rotation is substantially equal to the depth of undercut and on a further such section is less than the depth of undercut, means for rotating said guard in synchronism with the traverse of the machine and for thereby causing it to step forward over the cuttings, and means at the rear of the guard fordelivering the cuttings out of the cut.

13. In the combination claimed in claim 12, a motor in the body of the machine for traversing said machine, and a driving connection betweensaid motor and the guard for rotating it Y HAROLD WILSON. 

